Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-09-26
GREER COUNTY
Discussing tho Ownership Of the County
Austin Dispatch.

DisCuSEiDS tho OWuHrship or The county.
Austin Dispatch.
The recent opinion delivered by Attor-
neY-General Hogg, to the effect that the
Land Commissioner IS CD author
jzed to have the lands Of the territory
surveyed; (2) that he is authorized to
designate the school lands thereof; [3)
that ne is authorized 10 sell the said
school lands; AID (4) that he is author
lied to lease all the lands N thai county,
is clearly in line wi h the policy adopted
by the state administration, and fully
in sCcord with the provisions OF the
land bIl! enacted by the Twentieth Lsgis-
ture.
OF course, this policy meets with op-
position from q certain class whQse in
teres;s are not subserYed; but inTestiea-
ton will show thsg il inutes to the ben
eft Of the actual settler, and serves TO
strengthen and complete the chain CT title
which he derives from the ststef
There is one very important point il
this Greer county question which hiss
never been discussed, and which the Cp-
ponents Of the present land policy appear
10 have stUdi0usly overlooked. It Is 8
most material point snd the one, in al
/ "a gJi JILL uDOiA VIII. W IL 4i.l AllC
Issue before She courts OF title between
the state and federal governments.
| II 1857, the United States government
/ leased from the five civilized tribes Of the
/ Indian Nation, all that portion Of the ter
| ritOrY coded TO them by the government
u lder treaty lying west Ct the Wsshi-a
yer to the Texss line, f0r tne period OF
ujnety-Dine (JJ) years, This territory
/ 20 Cr~,r f.Y-rlvs, lr.s
IS & reservation for the Ktowas,
Comanche and Apach9s, and IN the tslI OF
| 1858, Captain S. B, Ross, Indian sgent,
with General (theu major G. H. Thomas
sud g small military escort, snd accom-
/ panied by his son (noW Governor L. .
Ross, completed the work Of removing
the tribes to the territory reserved.
Here lies the Min point OK the issue.
( TIE government leased from tie terri
torlal authorities ell inst lant OF the In
river to the Texas line. II, ths1, the
not Within the jurisdiction Of
/ Texas, it Clearly belongs to the In
dian Territory, AID forms part OF the
land leased to the government a. the
KjoWa, C0manChe and Apache reserve
tL+sl IL t--is NE4lj LLts s-OFCL-tLLiCL-t llfa
no more control OF its disposition tina
other lands embraced IN the possession.
Of the five civilized tribes, aud is power
less to open it 10 entry Tor donation q
sale
II it properly belongs to the reserve
ton, then the white settlers who hzyf
located upon It are trespsssers, and have
no valid rights or claims, which either
c4s
They are simply squatters, whose title
IS valid only so long as the Indians o.
their agent, should see Il. ~ recognize It
The truth il, the government mas nc
claim whatever TO the disputed t ri ory
The title Of Greer county IL uIthel
vested in the state of Texas or in the In.
dians Of the five civilized tribes conjolnt-
Iy. Tie terms Of the lease made III 1855
plainly show this: "All that TERRITORY
west Of the Washita river 20 the BOUNDARY
line Of the state OF Texas"
The question Of ownership may bt
brought before the courts at any DAY. 4
demand from the agent CT the K:0was
Comanches and Apeches upon the cattle
men for the lease money now paid int
the Texas treasury, or even the ares
Of an Indian by the civil officers OF Gree
county, might preCipitate it. In the on
case, the agent might hold that unde
the terms Of the frosty Greer county wa
portion of the Iadian Territory, ana
that the lease money rightfuIly be
longed to his wards; il the other, tina
the state Of Texas had no jurisdiction
over an Indian upon his own reservation
This point, the Dispatch believes, ha
never been discussed, but il is worthy O
consideration It's Importance 20 tn
settlers Of Greer county, of course, can
not be over estimated. If the state la
no title to the lands, certainly there is n
way by which they can acquire title
White men are declared from settling
upon Indisn lands, and if the ccurt
should decree that Greer county Wa
! properly part of the Indian Territory
, whatever improvements they nave made
must be sacrificed and turned over, with
out remuneration, to the Tightf1i owner
Of the soil.
The Dispatch is fully Of the opinion
that the disputed territory is clearly
part Of the public domain Of Texas, 40
aIone by reason of undistur0ed possession
and occupancy for many years, but By a
abundance OF documentary proof III N
shape of treaties, maps snd surveys.
Tie people OF Greer county Who nav
much ST sake, eau aid no little towaF
corro5oratIng that opinion End forcing
upon the public mind.